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She's categorized as a Category C rider. So if the National rules let her ride the horse in a 2*, she can. For a CIC 3*, she'd only need 2 FEI 2*s as a combination with the horse. But she'd need one CCI 2* and one CIC3* with the horse before they could run a CCI 3*.

What riders in the UK are finding though is that the first question an owner asks when thinking of moving a horse is what level can they ride it at. This has affected a very good, hardworking young rider who has done 3*.

And you shouldn't fault the owners for this (not saying you are, mugsgame, I'm just speaking to this point). I certainly don't want my horses running any more than necessary.

If I understand correctly, the MERs require CIC rides, not just a prelim/intermediate etc horse trial. So this means two things:

1. a lot more pressure to run events under FEI auspices (and send in the requisite fees)
2. Riders on the west coast or other areas that don't tend to have a lot of CICs to run probably cannot get qualified.

That Gina Miles, Olympic Silver Medalist, is not qualified to run because she's had an injured horse is amusing/annoying. But, much more alarmingly, I bet if you looked at her record with McKinleigh, who was her only upper level horse, and who was campaigned from her California base, that she would not have gotten enough MERs to run him at the competitions that she did during his career, and she probably never would have been able to make the team.

If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats. - Lemony Snicket

Does it seem to y'all that the end of all these changes will be the death of the CCI because of the difficulty of qualifying and the number of FEI runs that it will take? The Continental Europeans, who control the FEI, have very little use for the CCI (except for France), and the Germans are on record against the traditional CCI. It's their vision to have XC on the last day; bought hook line and sinker by the FEI now for CICs. So when the CCI goes the way of the dodo, the CIC with XC on the last day will be the default event.

There are eighteen or nineteen National level events in the US which can substitute for FEI events for MERS but only in 2013. Where in all that is holy will FEI level replacements for those eighteen or nineteen events come from?

This new setup has the potential to harm North American eventing drastically.

Originally Posted by poltroon

If I understand correctly, the MERs require CIC rides, not just a prelim/intermediate etc horse trial. So this means two things:

1. a lot more pressure to run events under FEI auspices (and send in the requisite fees)
2. Riders on the west coast or other areas that don't tend to have a lot of CICs to run probably cannot get qualified.

That Gina Miles, Olympic Silver Medalist, is not qualified to run because she's had an injured horse is amusing/annoying. But, much more alarmingly, I bet if you looked at her record with McKinleigh, who was her only upper level horse, and who was campaigned from her California base, that she would not have gotten enough MERs to run him at the competitions that she did during his career, and she probably never would have been able to make the team.

Vaughan has been quite happily pottering his way round Novice courses (your Prelim equivalent I think) here in NZ for a few years now. Though actually haven't seen much of him in the last couple of years so maybe he actually has retired now. Still coaching though.

And I would also just like to point out, its not like Blyth Tait has literally not ridden a single round since he retired and the FEI classifying him now. He had Santos out at the CCI*** level early last year. And I think he's also got a few younger horses he takes out at the Pre-Novice/Novice level.

^Thus under the current rules, if a sponsor bought her a 4* horse she would have to compete it 1* through 4*, we are talking years...... The FEI needs to pull its collective head out of its collective azz. If a former Olympian cannot be bought an upper level horse and go out and compete I do not get it? They are smart horseman/woman for the most part and will make the correct decisions regarding their and their horse's safety.

And on subject, I know Blyth and he is an excellent rider and very good horseman, and this is just plan stupid, should be a none issue.....

Given the Chronicle's report today that the FEI has just decided to decrease the number of event horses competing at the 2016 Olympics, why don't eventers say (1) We don't need the Olympics and - more importantly - (2) adios FEI?

But the teams used to be four person so it's more of a change back than a real reduction. They also increased the dressage teams from 3 to 4 riders. And it's not like the 5 person team was in use for that long, I think Athens was the first time?

I love Eventing, not FEI

Originally Posted by cindywilson

Given the Chronicle's report today that the FEI has just decided to decrease the number of event horses competing at the 2016 Olympics, why don't eventers say (1) We don't need the Olympics and - more importantly - (2) adios FEI?

I could not find the link, but given a valid statement, I think that supports my view about Eventing in the Olympics, the FEI's control, and the direction FEI is going with the sport.

As a LLR I don't really worry about the fate of eventing at my level. All the hand wringing, all the angst is really directed at what is viewed as the top of the sport. The doomsayers that speak of the end of eventing as we know it really refers to the 3/4* level of eventing. BN/N/T and even Prelim is not that concerned about what happens at the top.

What I see is that there will a strong division between the amateur and pro aspects of the sport. What I and the majority do as Eventing will become different from the professional version (if it stays with FEI). Turns out I'm not that impressed with the direction FEI is going so as a customer, I wont be buying their product. I mayJones this, but I am close to not watching anything presented by FEI.

"BN/N/T and even Prelim is not that concerned about what happens at the top."

Hey, this is America where anyone can dream of being President or an Olympic level rider.

(Sorry, a glass of rose' influenced that post.)

s'okay annie, mellowed on a vodka tonic as well. I can believe in the idea that one can be president or Olympian, but reality tells me that the pyramid slope is pretty steep these days.

Let me re-phrase...what is an Olympian? It is not so much about the best of the best these days, but something more ascribed to money. Not something I am that focused on.

Now, talking about Eventing as a passion....we really don't need some organization to determine what can be accomplished. If there was not USEA, USEF, FEI etc etc etc there would be people attempting to jump some level that pushed the edge of the envelope. Then there would be people to help organize that attempt and we would maybe be back to something resembling the passion of the sport again. The only people who need FEI are those who make money via FEI? The rest of us will jump, no matter what.

I received my Omnibus yesterday ( CDN ) and after reading it, almost had a headache!!! Who's idea was it to microchip at the FEI level? Don't passports matter anymore?

Oh I wish. No, you need both, and good luck with that. It took me a month to get the proper microchip sorted out. It's super fun. Cuz you know passports were always so easy. Do glad they added another level of complication.

JP--You're right. We LLR's don't care. As for me, as long as the US still has long formats at P & T (and also N, now), I've got a goal. And don't even much care about FEI competitions.

Well...I care about it because it is all my sport. Whether I will ever ride around a 4* track or not. I can have a beer with riders who DO ride at these levels...and do often compete against them at the lower levels. They don't think of themselves any differently than I think of myself. We are all event riders...we all care about our horses and our sport and we all care about people who participate in our sport regardless of the level. So when I see a dumb rule that affects any aspect of my sport....it does matter to me. And I have seen what has happened when rule changes were made at the top of the sport....and then filtered down to directly affect me....so I really do try to stay involved.

But obviously, that is just my opinion. Others are of course entitled to their on opinions as well.

** The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has its limits. -- Albert Einstein **

So when I see a dumb rule that affects any aspect of my sport....it does matter to me. And I have seen what has happened when rule changes were made at the top of the sport....and then filtered down to directly affect me....so I really do try to stay involved.

But obviously, that is just my opinion. Others are of course entitled to their on opinions as well.

I'll go back to my original point for a moment. I said that I don't worry about the fate of Eventing *at my level*. This does not reflect a lack of care, but about whether a world organization making decisions effects my ability to ride at BN. The majority of people in Eventing and perhaps on this forum cannot influence FEI decision making, nor are we close enough to even influence people who could influence FEI. We are the huddled masses, yearning to ride safely around a course, concerned if our horse can move up one level and thrilled if we go double clear, much less score a ribbon. I follow the changes, dumb or smart, but other then voice my opinion, they (FEI) have little impact on my Eventing life.

Consider, why do we compete? Not professionals, they compete to earn money. Why do we amateurs compete? For a $3 ribbon of some color, bragging rights? What drives us to go away from our barns, spend lots of money for what turns out to be less then 30 minutes of actual competitive riding? I don't know about the collective mindset, but I compete to measure how much better I've gotten, what progress I've made. I use Eventing to help challenge me to be a better rider so in the end, I compete against myself. Winning feels great, but a win is also getting an under 30 dressage score for the first time (even if 6 others did better). A win is jumping a clean round at a new level or making a bank to log combination look smooth.

See then, I don't *need* the USEA, USEF or FEI to accomplish those wins (well maybe for a dressage score but that's another debate). Since I don't need them the interesting thought is maybe...just maybe...they need us. Maybe, when some alphabet organization makes enough dumb rule changes that begin to effect the huddled masses, and they go elsewhere, then maybe they will change. I see them as crafty, they wont make a rule change to piss off the masses (much), but they will make rule changes such that it meets their goals of making money and garnering power. They make a change against those they already own. Thus your current scrum over MERs.

The only people who *do not* care about our horses or our riders are the ones making the rules. Since a body like the FEI is more concerned about power and profit, I become less concerned about them and their impact on my view of Eventing. If Eventing stopped being an Olympic sport, would you stop riding? If Eventing stopped being involved in WEG, would you stop Eventing? If the FEI, USEF, BE, USEA and CAEA (?) doubled the price of shows, would you stop Eventing?

My answer is no, I would not. If I had to I'd form my own local chapter, find trainers to train, farm owners to help run shows, and even apply the rules of the sport to keep it safe (as possible). If that was not possible I'd take my trainer out to some schooling center a few times a year and have us run a course. Eventing is not just a sport, it is a way of riding. That is what I care about. People lament about the lose of this and the changing of that, yet it is only lost if we accept there is only one path, one choice; that is never the case.